Accepting The Cladding

[timcosco]

How long did it take for you to adjust to the grey body cladding on your Av?

I made the adjustment about six years ago when I bought a Grand Cherokee. Never had a problem with it falling off or anything and it does a great job protecting the body both off-road and in parking lots.

It is hard to clean wax off it though.

Tim

 

[ygmn]

I loved it from day one when i saw the Avy in MAchine Design Magazine about 2-3 years ago. I love it.

As for wax removal here are some tips...

Get a very soft toothbrush and try it dry if that does not work buy some Quick detailer spray like Meguiar's Final Inspection which is very good at cleaning and spray the area then brush...Also a Wet Micro fiber towel does very well as well.

I know you have heard it but the key is to be careful when applying wax or sealant near mouldings, trim and the cladding.

Another tip. Apply your cladding protection first before you wax or use sealant. The protectant makes the wax easier to remove. I prefer 303 or Zaino tire dressing for the cladding and other gray stuff.

Good Luck

 

[gandolphxx]

The cladding was a lot easier to accept when I heard that a 1/4 panel was $50.

 

[Chief]

When I bought my 1987 Tempo 2-door Sport, it was almost identical in color to my Av - dark metallic blue up top and dark gray on the bottom. The bottom dark gray on the Tempo had a thick coating on it that made it bullet proof. Road grime and paint came right off. It never chipped, scratched, nada.

I liked the cladding the second I saw the Av. If you want a depressing experience buy a new car, drive it about 20,000 miles and then walk around it the next time it's on a lift in the shop, so the lower quarter panels are at eye level. Ugh! Chips everywhere!

You won't go through that with an Av (and knowning the panels are dirt cheap helps too - have even more plans to drag it through the woods now!)

 

[timfarn]

I'm supposed to pick up the $45 rear quarter on Friday. My parts guy said the clips are now preinstalled on the cladding. We'll see if the price holds - I'll post.